Connections

CADCA recently released the finding of a new study on “Bath Salts”. Bath salts is a relatively new synthetic drug that is potentially very dangerous as the study indicates.

New Research Stresses Health Dangers of Bath Salts

National Institute on Drug Abuse research published in this week’s Neuropsychopharmacology shows that MDPV, a synthetic chemical commonly found in the drugs referred to as “bath salts,” is potentially more dangerous than cocaine when tested in rodents. In this study, MDPV prolonged the effects of two neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine (by blocking reuptake at brain nerve cells) and produced hyperactivity, rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure, which are highly dangerous symptoms.

Though this study was done in rodents, these results could explain why these substances are addictive and highly dangerous in humans, as indicated by reports that MDPV is the chief substance found in the blood and urine of emergency room patients who have overdosed on so-called “bath salts.”

For a copy of the study abstract, go to www.nature.com/npp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/npp2012204a.html.